KABUL (SW) – Thomas West, the US State Department’s special envoy for Afghanistan, has said the Islamic Emirate was repeating a mistake that denied them a chance to rule the country in 2001.
Despite establishing near-total control over Afghanistan since regaining power six months ago, the Islamic Emirate have been struggling to secure international legitimacy for their government amid a growing humanitarian and economic crisis, reported the VOA.
The United States and even Islamic countries, including Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors such as Pakistan, contend, however, that the Taliban need to do more before seeking legitimacy for their rule.
“I find so far an encouraging degree of [international] unity when it comes to holding on recognition for more meaningful steps toward respect for the rights of all Afghans, for a move toward a more representative government, toward responsible stewardship of the economy,” said Tom West, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, while speaking at a seminar Tuesday in Washington.
West noted that in his dialogue with Taliban representatives he found them “very sincere in their intent to contain” Islamic State terrorists in the country. But he sounded skeptical about the Taliban’s efforts to contain al-Qaida, saying the U.S. would “want to have greater confidence in the steps” being taken against that terror network.
The U.S. envoy said he has also raised concerns about reprisal killings and the disappearance of critics of the Taliban, saying such incidents “are under-reported” and those responsible have yet to be held accountable.
While violent conflict among armed groups has largely ended, Afghanistan’s already struggling economy has deteriorated, and the Afghan people are facing an extraordinarily grave humanitarian crisis. The Taliban’s “interim government” is widely viewed as insular and exclusive. It has restricted rights of girls and women, and it has at times turned a blind eye to abductions, beatings and, in some cases, the torture and killing of journalists, human rights activists and former civilian and military officials.
Tom West was appointed the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan in October 2021, and tasked with advancing U.S. objectives in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and the Taliban takeover.
As part of his efforts, he engages in dialogue with representatives of the Taliban, regional leaders, the international community and Afghan political, civil society and diaspora members to find ways to assist the Afghan people while protecting U.S. national security interests.
